Laelia (Rupiculous) Orchids

[GardenTheater]

Nice selection!

[MattWoelfsen]

James, that is a beautiful yellow flower!

Thanks for looking GardenTheater, do you own a Rupicolous plant too?

[dries666]

They are very cute and u seem to have gotten urself some nice ones! I myself have one reginae and one esalqueana, but I still need to find out their ideal growing conditions. I got them potted up in little pebbles, but my guess is that this is too dry in my environment and watering regime, so I might need to change it to small bark pieces in a terracotta pot. They might grow better then or even bloom... any succes u have, please post them together with ur medium and watering regime it would be a great help.

[Gthumbz89]

Those look adorable!!! I need small cattleyas like these ones for my grow space. it is exceedingly rare to find them for sale though.

[Bud]

You got quite a haul there....and these orchid plants are not so easy to care for....I am excited to see your flowers soon....they are all of blooming size.

[MattWoelfsen]

Originally Posted by Bud

You got quite a haul there....and these orchid plants are not so easy to care for....I am excited to see your flowers soon....they are all of blooming size.

Thanks Bud! I also hope for the flowers. I think a good summer season of growth will bring them around the end of summer--so I've read on the Internet. I've been growing three of these Laelia since October 2013. These have grown new pbulbs. TOMMYMIAMI had posted that he waters his plants through osmosis--filling their trays with water and letting the roots water. I have also kept these drier in the winter--warm, sunny, and breezy. I've misted them intermittently.

I have visited the areas of Brasil, where these plants call home. They live on very hard surfaces. In Rio de Janeiro, people grow them as ground cover, on sandy, pebbly soil. When I first saw a garden of these plants, in Ipanema, I thought they were some sort of flowering succulent plant. When I got closer, I could smell their fragrance on the breeze. When I stood right next to the garden did I realize they were orchids.

When I first came across these plants, they reminded me of Brasil.

[MattWoelfsen]

Originally Posted by dries666

They are very cute and u seem to have gotten urself some nice ones! I myself have one reginae and one esalqueana, but I still need to find out their ideal growing conditions. I got them potted up in little pebbles, but my guess is that this is too dry in my environment and watering regime, so I might need to change it to small bark pieces in a terracotta pot. They might grow better then or even bloom... any succes u have, please post them together with ur medium and watering regime it would be a great help.

Thank you dries. I will certainly share how these plants abide. Ironic, they are similar to how Neofinetia grow--they require a little warmer temperature and inorganic potting media like perlite and small pebbles--that is what most of these are grown in. The L.flava is in sphagnum moss. Otherwise, winter rest, intermittent watering, bright light, breezy, circulating air. For summer, not too much heat, can tolerate 90*F once in awhile but not as a regular culture or more water to cool the air. This summer growing conditions I have only read about, haven't had a spring or a summer growing these plants--yet.

[LovePhals]

The bradei looks very cool!

[MattWoelfsen]

Originally Posted by Gthumbz89

Those look adorable!!! I need small cattleyas like these ones for my grow space. it is exceedingly rare to find them for sale though.

They are hard to find Gthumbz89. But they are out there. Do you shop on eBay? That is where I found these plants. The vendor cshaz on eBay is where I bought all of my rupicolous Laelia. Incredleorchids/Seattle Orchids has them for sale--they sell so many different plants, it's like going on a treasure to find the "rare" Laelia rupicolous plant. I have seen them on the Internet for sale at vendors like Santa Barbara Estate Orchids, Carter and Holmes, Hausermann's, and Miranda Orchids.

[MattWoelfsen]

Originally Posted by LovePhals

The bradei looks very cool!

You need to add one of these plants to your grow lists LovePhals. In fact I am starting to give away my larger Cattleya to make room for these plants!